Flexible & Flowing - The Water Element
The Sacral Chakra. "Women you are the keeper of the water."
*Billabong Dreaming is my water song and meditation. Please watch it too. It is dedicated to saving Barka, the Darling river in Australia, it is dedicated to cleaning and clearing the sacred springs of England and the world.
To holding ceremonies again and giving thanks.
Become flexible with Yin & Restorative Yoga
There are 4 free yoga classes in this section of the course and 3 extra classes.
We need to grow stronger...slowly.. but most of us also need to regain flexibility by learning to be still and relax. This is the feminine part of yoga and often not taught but it is so important to our health and well-being.
Practicing Yin & Restorative yoga makes you more flexible. I am living proof. I was getting stiffer over the years and had a sore back and hip when I first started yoga. I have learnt... and it wasn't easy, to hold an asana and relax. We need to learn to be still, to hold a position and breathe. In the beginning mind would want me to keep moving. What next? How much longer? What is the point? This is boring...With time and patience (never one of my strong points) the internal chatter dissolved with my breath and peace and softening finally joined me as I practiced.
Find presence, poise and grace in the gentle asana first.
Yin & Restorative positions are mainly practiced sitting or lying down and are held for much longer periods of time.
Yin Yoga asana are held for 2 to 3 minutes. This gives your muscles and mind the opportunity to relax and let go and as this happens over time you move deeper into the posture.
Restorative yoga is much more gentle and nurturing and can be held for even longers, often with supports such as pillows.
Yin & Restorative yoga help free your body and mind from injury, pain, suffering. Both mental and physical
YOGA CLASS 2/ Saraswati Wisdom is an intermediate to advanced class.
I usually adapt a class I am practicing at home for teaching everyone but this class is not adapted. In this class you explore your flexibility and adapt it for your own unique body. Can you do that? Can you sit and breathe instead of force yourself or grow frustrated. It's a beautiful class but you need to be strong mentally, to practice safely. It's one of the most important lessons. The student who adapts or comes out of a posture because it doesn't feel safe for them, is a strong women.
Notice frustration if you can't practice some of the postures in this class, accept this and learn to be adaptable. Find an alternative become an experienced "yogi"
Find Joy. Beauty & Grace with Flow Yoga
Flow yoga is beautiful to practice, very feminine and graceful. Instead of holding the asana we move with the breath.
If you can't relax, if you can't sit still. Then flow........
Add specific mudra, add music or mantra and yoga becomes a spiritual practice.
It raises your spirit...hard to describe but easier to feel.
My flow classes have been choreographed by me as I practiced at home, whilst listening to Sacred Earth.
I loved practicing them so much I wanted to share them and so I gradually introduced some of them and my yoga students gave me some lovely feedback which has encouraged me to share them with you.
The more you know your routine the quicker your mind will settle. Make sure you know the postures well before flowing. In one of the moon flows I am sitting in Lotus but you can sit cross legged or in a chair. Again it is time to become adaptable as water is. I see a lot of students who try to go deeper and yet they are not aware enough to feel that there positioning is wrong. Simple things like your hands and feet are so important. Others stay safe with a gentle option and look beautiful with perfect alignment, they will not hurt themselves but continue to grow stronger.
Links to two flow yoga classes
3/The Moon Flow Class is a favourite of many of my students.
The first 10 minutes is standing and can be practiced by everyone with care. Take your time to learn Shakti Mudra before you begin - Essence of feminine power hand gesture. If it is too challenging for your fingers place the tips of your fingers together and practice Hakini or Prayer. A student told me Shakti Mudra was too difficult for her, so we adapted. Thanks for your feedback Vicki❤*
Recommended Books. I found them both in the local library and then bought them.
Lunar Abundance by Izzy Spencer. Moonology by Yasmin Bowland
Both are wonderful guides to inspire you to live a beautiful and happy life.
YOGA CLASS 4/ Sacral Chakra Class is beginner/intermediate and also lovely to practice.
Learn a lovely sun & moon flow with 5 hand gestures to balance the energies of earth, water, fire, air and space. Then move into Yin asana for flexible hips and lower back.
*THERE ARE 3 EXTRA TEACHING CLASSES AND MEDITATIONS for guided students
1/ The beautiful & gentle Tree of Life flow class which ends with a face and neck massage.
*Now available to buy as a download or I can send you the YouTube link.
Click here to purchase The Tree of Life Yoga Class
2/A beautiful, restorative, yin moon flow class that ends with the Water Yantra teaching meditation.
3/Yogic Healing Class - The place of the Moon, increasing ojas the nectar of life.
Link to the teaching meditation - Orange Stone.
This meditation encourages you to create a beautiful life.
It is one of the chakra or rainbow teachings
One of my students gave up her job after practicing it in class.
I was a little shocked when she told me.
She then struggled with what to replace a job she didn't enjoy with and also not earning "her keep"
She has now started her own charity to help underprivilaged women in our society and realises her true value is not how much money she earns.
Oranges & Orange Essential Oil
An important healing fruit and oil for Kapha Dosha. Newsletter July 2021
Bird Song
Spend at least 2 months on this section of yoga classes & meditations as you work your way through Weeks 9 - 16 of Bird Song
My body & mind began to change quickly when I started my Yin Yoga Teacher Training.
I was once average health & flexibility, getting a bit stiffer through the years.
Now I am incredibly flexible...it happened through learning to relax & let go.
Learning Ocean Breath.
Dropping into my favourite restorative yoga positions any time of the day, in bed before sleep and sometimes at night when waking with a hot flush.....
Once you learn all this, yoga becomes an essential part of your life.
You start to feel the changes and you become more intuitive as you practice.
You may make up your own class. Be your own Guru.
This is the missing part of many yoga classes, the feminine.
The Rainbow Teachings
MAKE YOUR OWN BEAUTIFUL HEALTH TREATMENT PLAN
Stay and work on the Sacral Chakra if you have problems in your lower spine, pelvis and hips, your circulatory/lymphatic system.
If you are emotionally going through guilt, grief, depression, feeling joyless.
Buy a health diary. Write down your symptoms. Then make yourself a treatment plan.
Write down 10 things you will do every day (don't feel "guilty" if you don't do them, you are learning.)
Here is an example.
1/ 10 Minute Moon Flow Daily.
2/ 10 Minute Orange Stone Meditation 3 x a week
3/ Buy yourself a beautiful bright dress and wear it once a week. Orange and reds.
4/ Buy a carnelian crystal bracelet and wear it.
5/ Clean the house using a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil on your cloth. Find out why.
6/ Chant Vam
7/ Write out an affirmation for yourself. "I am learning to create a beautiful life." For example. Repeat it in the mirror, whenever you see your reflection.
8/ Have a bath or swim in the ocean
9/ On the Full Moon sit and write down in your diary everything you are grateful for...
10/ Practice the restorative class Relax.Relax..Relax...once a week.
*This plan is not a replacement for medical treatment, it is an extra layer to your well-being.
Learn more about the affects of the Water Element - In my Newsletter.
Orange - Wear the colour, or crystals such as carnelian
Sacral Chakra - Found just bellow the belly button. The yoga asana and classes move your body in this area, stimulating and cleansing.
Vam - The chant for an imbalance in this area
Physical focus - The asana build strength and flexibility in the lower spine, pelvis & hips.
They also stimulate and cleanse the water element in your body and improve the function of the circulatory and lymphatic system as well as digestion and reproductive health.
If you are being guided through the course I will recommend special tea's, food and herbs.
KAPHA DOSHA is a combination of the Earth & Water Element
Musical Note D - Singing bowls can be purchased to balance this area with sound healing. Buy a bowl for the Sacral Chakra. I recommend the Tibet Shop. Or sing your favourite songs.
Uddiyana Bandha - Not sure what this is? Go back to my Foundations of Yoga video.
Apana Vayu - Cleansing Breath - As you breathe in feel the breath flowing down and as you exhale, a softening as it moves up through your whole body. For more information on Apana Vayu see my Newsletter October 2020. I teach you how to experience it in the Moon Flow
The Moon - Start practicing the fortnightly Moon Work and stop and look up and breathe in the moon whenever you see her in the sky.
Mudra for the Water Element - Learn Shakti Mudra & Varuna Mudra in my Moon Flow. The finger which represents this element is the little finger
The West - The teachings for the 4 directions are in my Earth Yantra Meditation - Purchase in Webshop
Turn to the West - Watch the sunsets and begin to add more of natures magic to your life.
Winter - Can increase this energy because it is cool and damp.
Ayurvedic Treatment for colds & flus August 2018
Easy Chai for colds & flu August 2019
Relax.Relax..Relax...
Moon Work
MOONOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF THE MOON AND HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH IT"S CYCLES TO EMPOWER YOUR LIFE.
* I am now a Certified Moonologer with Yasmin Boland and it has taken my practice to a much deeper level which I wish to share with you
The Moon is part of the water element teachings. The cycles of the moon influence the tides and our own feminine cycles. The word month is moonth.
Use the knowledge for self-study of your own months and cycles.
To help plan and change your life, follow your heart and create and live a beautiful life.
Become healthier in Body - asana, herbs, diet.
Mind - breathing exercise, mantra, yantra, mudra.
Spirit - feeling part of nature, part of everything, whole. (Following the moonthly cycles)
The health system of Yoga & Ayurveda is interconnected through an understanding of the elements of Earth. Water. Fire. Air. Space.
The horoscope is a sacred & simple prompt to encourage self reflection, self knowing & self awareness.
There is no better calendar than this one, created thousands of years ago, by observing the moon, the planets, the seasons, the cycles of nature.
As an example Taurus Is an earth sign. There are 3 earth signs in the zodiac 3 fire, 3 water, 3 air. Already you have practiced and connected to the earth, the base chakra in the first section of the course and now water learning yoga & meditation, crystals, mudra, self massage..
There is usually 1 Full Moon in Taurus &
1 New Moon in Taurus each year.
Keep going with the course....
A new moon is a time to start again. Another month. Another opportunity. A new beginning. MASCULINE ENERGY
The Yang of Life.
After the full moon it is time to rest, to nourish, to let go, to be still and listen.
The Yin of Life. FEMININE ENERGY.
If you would like to learn how to work with the energy of the moon spiritually be it Earth. Water. Fire or Air.
Every fortnight I write moon work on my Facebook page Bird Song - Women's Circles.
I don't want to remove the Moon Work below. I think it is potent - this is what spiritual means to me.
New Moon in Gemini Thurs 6th at 22.37
Working with the heart chakra as Gemini is an air sign. The darkest time of the year, but also the time when the beautiful, bright yellow Wattle trees flower on the ridges letting everyone know the whales are travelling up the coast.
The winter sun how I love to sit and feel her warmth, she bites and stings in summer but she nourishes in winter.
This is the time to walk, to light the fire, to sit on sandstone rocks, to sing your heart out and dance in the privacy of your own home.
This is part of my winter story of living here in Australia on the Central Coast but each of us has their own story and connection to time of year and the land.
Write yours and invite family and friends.
Ready to add another layer of knowledge?
Each sign has different emotional teachings for living well, one a month for the New Moon and one a month for the Full Moon
Moon Work ?
What date is the next Full Moon or New Moon?
What sign will the next Full Moon or New Moon be in?
If your working with the Moon Cycles will you be practicing Hatha or Restorative Yoga, which section of the course will you find appropriate yoga and meditation classes?
What is the Element? Can you write your own Moon Work?
This is the biggest and most important section of the course for women.
Bringing back Shakti, the feminine into our lives.
With ceremony, song, dance, grace, gentleness, softness and beauty.
She has been missing from the modern world.
I want her back!
Ready to learn more?
Section 3 - Full Of Energy